Pac-12 picks: Stanford hangs with ASU, Oregon State rolls, and another USC-Utah thriller

Utah and USC person met much times successful the past decennary than they did implicit the erstwhile 90 years. But wrong that abbreviated window, the unnatural rivals person produced a astonishing fig of hotly-anticipated, high-stakes thrillers.

— In 2014, a back-and-forth duel ended with the Utes covering 73 yards successful 11 plays for the winning touchdown with 8 seconds remaining.

— In 2016, Utah spoiled Sam Darnold’s archetypal vocation start, rallying from 10 points down successful the 4th fourth and scoring the crippled victor with 16 seconds left.

— The 2017 showdown ended successful USC’s favour — but lone aft the Trojans scored 21 consecutive points to instrumentality a fourth-quarter lead, past stopped Utah’s game-winning two-point conversion attempt.

— And successful 2019, USC backup backmost Matt Fink threw for 351 yards and led an upset of the 10th-ranked Utes successful an entertaining Friday nighttime affair.

All successful all, the Trojans and Utes person crafted 1 of the astir compelling non-rivalry bid successful the conference.

Expect much of the aforesaid this play erstwhile the Utes sojourn the Coliseum for a primetime matter (FOX).

The plot, often casual to outline fixed the respective playing styles, is exceedingly hard to task connected this occasion.

The Utes haven’t been connected the tract successful 2 weeks but spent the clip grieving the decease of antiaircraft backmost Aaron Lowe. Their emotions volition beryllium entity precocious Saturday evening and necessitate cautious oversight. Will a letdown hap astatine immoderate point?

Meanwhile, USC’s archetypal period has featured capable twists and turns to past a season. When the Trojans aren’t winning big, they’re losing big. Or firing a coach. Or changing quarterbacks. Or doing Trojan things.

Neither squad is ranked; some person 2 losses. But the Utes (2-2/1-0) are unbeaten successful league play and precise overmuch successful the part race. USC (3-2/2-2) needs assistance but isn’t cooked conscionable yet.

Although the prime of play mightiness not conscionable past standards, the play should beryllium worthy of primetime.

To the picks …

Last week: 3-2
Season: 19-16
Five-star special: 4-1

All picks against the spreadLines taken from vegasinsider.comAll times Pacific

Stanford +11.5 astatine Arizona State (Friday)

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. connected ESPN

Comment: ASU owns a important vantage successful athleticism, but the Cardinal faced a akin contented past week and didn’t flinch. The abbreviated week adds an absorbing dynamic with some teams caller disconnected large victories: The Sun Devils thumped UCLA successful the Rose Bowl successful a homecoming for dozens of players raised successful Southern California; Stanford rallied to bushed No. 3 Oregon successful overtime. Which squad is capable to recalibrate rapidly and marque the astir of its constricted mentation time? Our guess: The visitor. Last possession wins. Pick: Stanford

Oregon State -3.5 astatine Washington State

Kickoff: 1 p.m. connected Pac-12 Networks

Comment: A must-win crippled for the Beavers if they anticipation to support gait successful the North contention and for the Cougars if they privation to widen their way to the postseason. This has been a lopsided bid of late, with WSU winning 7 successful a enactment (and scoring 50+ points successful 4 of those games). We person been astir arsenic impressed with the Cougars’ defence arsenic with OSU’s offense, which means the different matchup should framework the outcome: WSU’s erratic discourtesy against the opportunistic OSU defense. Pick: Oregon State

Utah +3 astatine USC

Kickoff: 5 p.m. connected FOX

Comment: The Trojans person alternated betwixt decisive triumph (San Jose State, WSU and Colorado) and decisive decision (Stanford, OSU). This week, the pendulum seemingly swings toward defeat, but we’re skeptical of Utah’s execution fixed the heavy emotions of the past fortnight. To watch: How Utah’s stingy walk defence fares against USC receiver Drake London. Also, volition Utah’s moving crippled find its bushed against a susceptible Trojans defense? Could beryllium a tract extremity game. Targeting ejections not advised. Pick: USC

UCLA -16 astatine Arizona

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. connected ESPN

Comment: The Bruins are susceptible aft being tally disconnected their location tract by ASU, but are the Wildcats susceptible of taking advantage? To an extent, yes. The other week to hole undoubtedly helped backmost Jordan McCloud get much comfy successful the discourtesy and gave the porous defence clip to signifier the fundamentals of tackling. Toss each the factors into a cauldron and the effect should beryllium a adjacent crippled for 3 quarters, with UCLA’s violative enactment and moving crippled securing a constrictive triumph down the stretch. Pick: Arizona

Five-star special: Arizona. We spot 2 ways to get this right: If the crippled isn’t successful uncertainty successful the 4th quarter, the Wildcats could sneak done the backmost doorway and screen the 16 with a precocious score.

Straight-up winners: ASU, Oregon State, USC and UCLA.

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